You don't know how lucky you are! Thanks to our govts ridiculous fuel
taxation policy (>80% tax), here in the UK we currently pay approx 84p per
litre. At current exchange rates that works out at $5.83 per US gallon (3.78
litres), or for a UK gallon (4.54 litres) that's $7.02!

Exactly!
Prices in the US have never been more than half (usually less) than in
western European countries and they still moan. I suppose it's relative. A
10% rise feels painful even if it's from a low level.
In fact, despite recent increases I am not sure that UK prices are at their
historic highs in real terms. Plus cars have become cheaper (in real
terms).
DAS

The 'ridiculous fuel taxation policy' doesn't seem to affect car usage
which continues to rise, so people can obviously afford it. Or do you
think every journey is a matter of life and death?
Say you did lower the fuel tax levels significantly. Which services would
you wish to see cut, or how would you prefer to pay the same overall
amount?

Interesting comment. For Americans we should consider all the services we
are not provided by our government...reliable retirement, medical for all,
western world standard school systems, colleges with low enough tuitions as
to be accessable by all.... because we heavily fund the military
establishment that is supposed to strike fear into the oil country dictators
and royalty who in turn provide oil in amounts and at rates that keep our
prices relatively low.
Personally I'd rather pay high gas prices and instead have medical for all,
1st class primary and secondary education, as well as college tuitions that
the average wage earner in the US could actually afford without mortgaging
their futures.

Trouble is the UK is moving further away from 'state' funded services.
University education is now mainly paid for by the student in the form of
loans. Some health care is still 'free' - mainly the serious stuff. But
much routine work like dentistry, spectacles and eye testing, has in the
main got to be paid for fully.

It is the same in Germany: The cost for retirement, health insurance and social
secutity are paid by employers and employees at 50% each. Currently these cost
eat up
40% of my salary. As the population is growing older and older (less new babies,
more
retired persons), the workforce becomes smaller. Besides that we have an
unemployment
problem, which especially affects elder people. The employers have always
demanded to
lower the cost for social security in order to make work cheaper (and their
profits
higher). So currently more and more services are cut back in order to lower the
funding. This would be useful for the employers, but not so useful for the
employees,
which are earning slightly moe but have to pay now for many things which were
free in
former times. Currently there is no politician visible, who has a convincing
answer for
that problem. Raising gas tax is a very common way to get more tax money -
however it
is very unpopular. And our secretary for enviromental affairs sounded quite
proud, when
he issued the information that gas consumption in Germany has decreased by 3% in
the
last year. I doubt that there really was a decrease, but many people who live
near the
border travel to one of our neighbour countries to fill up the tank (and buy a
carton
of lower taxed cigarettes). If you can save up to 15 bucks with one tank refill,
how
far would you be willing to travel for that?
Frank
Frank

Don't care. Example:my oldest daughter went to Denison University which cost
me an average of $ 32,000.00 per year. She is now doing her graduate work at
Boston University which runs about $ 40,000.00 per year. I can manage this,
but at costs that high most in this country cannot. By contrast a friend of
mine's daughter did her grad work at Kings College in London and he paid $
10,000.00 US...not for two semesters but for an entire year. There is simply
no comparison between education cost for our two countries. And we should be
better able to provide for our people than Britain for thiers.

Dave, you'd have to understand the costs for the average American in terms
of medical, dental and optical along with other costs here to understand
just how beaten down the middle class of our country truly is. If you are
poor or rich here you get equally good medical coverage, but if you are
middle class you probably have a very very difficult time providing any of
these coverage's for your family and self if it is not provided by your
employer.

You're talking purely private schools, here. FYI, tuition at public
universities
in the US (well, west coast/mountain/midwest) runs around $11-12K per
year, which includes housing. Also FYI, most universities *PAY* graduate
students. IMHO, you've been ripped off for an education that is, while
more prestigious, is no better in real terms than better public
institutions.
Floyd

My God, what a dolt you must be. You aren't even aware of the area of study
or the programs offered by the schools in question, but you know for certain
it can be equaled by any "better" public university for far less money. I
find it hard to believe you think there is reason in a baseless comment.
By the way, you would be very hard pressed to find anyone willing to opine
that Denison, which I doubt you know ***anything about***, and Boston U, of
which you likely know only slightly more, are "prestigious" universities
(apparently it is you who equates expense with prestige). But they do
happen to be among the best universities for the field of study my daughter
is pursuing, and none of the others are public schools.
It is for that reason your assertion above is indefensible. Basically, it's
just stupid. And "IMHO" feeling insignificant isn't an excuse for speaking
like a nitwit.
But back to the issue at hand: while tuitions at British universities vary
greatly by school as well as band, the fees one pays at a meddlin' US public
school will equal, and often exceed, those required at a top line
institution in England.

It seems like this is a touchy subject to you. My comments seem to
have hit a nerve: unlikely unless I'm right. In any case, the main
thrust of my comment that compares US and UK costs, remains
and disproves your assertion. Sorry, you're the dolt.
Floyd

So someone mentions gas prices, and a few folks decide that's a chance to go
off on geo-political ranting.
Take a look at the name of the group(s) you're posting in if you need a
refresher on the topic at hand, folks. Sheesh.
~~R.Banks

I have been following your OT discussion and have a few comments to add:
In my opinion anyone who spends $130k for an undergraduate degree is a fool.
Yes, the total tuition and expenses at a private school can add up that high
on paper, but the vast majority of students attending private schools in the
US get grants and/or scholarships that reduce the bill significantly. If
you actually paid that much for your daughter's college out of pocket then I
feel bad for you, because as the other poster said, you got ripped off.
Please, tell us what program she was studying at Dennison that she could not
have found at a less expensive school and then still managed to get into the
graduate program she needed?
-Fred W

fool.
What you call a fool, I call a person who is responsible to his situation.

high
the
Some people won't qualify for any assistence whatsoever Fred. I happen to
fall into that group. And some people, even though they can easily pay the
costs, still grub for assistence that would help those truly in need. But
you see the issue for me is not what I spend, but that the costs have become
too high for many others.

I
Of course I didn't get ripped off. Please think in context. Not every single
person in the country who can afford the bill is competing against those who
can't, for the same assistence money. It was a concious effort on our part
to decline any opportunity to gather cost assistence. And I will do it with
my next daughter as well.
If you think the choice is being ripped off or taking money away from the
pool that would help others in a lesser position than me.......then you are
the fool.

not
the
To what end? Neither you or Floyd seem capable of thinking outside your own
little box of experience. My personal belief is that people who can afford
our high tuition costs, yet compete for the money that would really help
those who cannot, are greedy shitheads.
The answer is greater access to college for everybody and that is attained
by lowering net costs.

To us, you're the one not thinking out of the box. FYI, my wife and I
have donated scholarships to dis-advantaged and minority students.
I daresay our means is greater than yours, but still find public schools
(of all grade levels, including college) more than adequate. My sons
could have gone anywhere, but chose public (out of state). I'm sorry
if you are offended, but I personally see aspects of the private school
industry (exclusive of the prestige/elitest aspects) as part of problem,
with education and it's funding.

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